Junior college teachers to start checking papers immediately

Weeks after junior college teachers across the state decided to boycott all exam-related work, the state government held a meeting with their representatives where it accepted all 20 demands put forward by the teachers.

Weeks after junior college teachers across the state decided to boycott all exam-related work, the state government held a meeting with their representatives where it accepted all 20 demands put forward by the teachers.

Anil Deshmukh, general secretary of the teachers’ federation said, “We will start checking HSC papers immediately and complete it by April 20. The government has given us a written assurance that remaining demands will be met within two to six months."

Three of the demands - approvals to teachers with a Diploma in Higher Education to hold positions of school vice principals and supervisors, six-month unconditional maternity leave and non-salary grants to college managements - have been accepted immediately.

Three other demands will be met within two months. These include fixation of 5th pay commission salaries for teachers from January 1, 1996 instead of March 1, 2000, restoring the 42-day-leave (that was cut initially when teachers had gone on strike), and considering tenure in unaided divisions and colleges for promotion.

The rest of the demands will be accepted within six months, the government said.

The strike 21-day resulted in nearly 7.8 lakh HSC answer sheets lying unchecked with college principals. The board had even tried roping in retired teachers to check the papers.

But now the retired teachers will not be required says Sarjerao Jadhav, chairperson, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE).

“Some of the junior college teachers have already collected the papers; others will do it today. Though they will be working in full swing, they have also been advised to be cautious while checking," said Jadhav.